GMO linked to gluten disorders plaguing 18 Million Americans

Genetically modified foods such as soy and corn may be responsible for a number of gluten-related maladies including intestinal disorders now plaguing 18 million Americans, according to a new report released on Tuesday.

The report was released by the Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT), and cites authoritative data from the US Department of Agriculture, US Environmental Protection Agency records, medical journal reviews as well as international research.

“Gluten sensitivity can range in severity from mild discomfort, such as gas and bloating, to celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition that can, if undiagnosed, result in a 4-fold increase in death,” said Jeffrey M. Smith, executive director of IRT in a statement released on their website.

Smith cited how a “possible environmental trigger may be the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to the American food supply, which occurred in the mid-1990s,” describing the nine GM crops currently on the market.

In soy, corn, cotton (oil), canola (oil), sugar from sugar beets, zucchini, yellow squash, Hawaiian papaya, and alfalfa, “Bt-toxin, glyphosate, and other components of GMOs, are linked to five conditions that may either initiate or exacerbate gluten-related disorders,” according to Smith.

It’s the BT-toxin in genetically modified foods which kills insects by “puncturing holes in their cells.” The toxin is present in ‘every kernel’ of Bt-corn and survives human digestion, with a 2012 study confirming that it punctures holes in human cells as well.

The GMO-related damage was linked to five different areas: Intestinal permeability, imbalanced gut bacteria, immune activation and allergic response, impaired digestion, and damage to the intestinal wall.

The IRT release also indicated that glyphosate, a weed killer sold under the brand name ‘Roundup’ was also found to have a negative effect on intestinal bacteria. GMO crops contain high levels of the toxin at harvest.

“Even with minimal exposure, glyphosate can significantly reduce the population of beneficial gut bacteria and promote the overgrowth of harmful strains,” the report found.

Dr. Tom O’Bryan, internationally recognized expert on gluten sensitivity and Celiac Disease, says that “the introduction of GMOs is highly suspect as a candidate to explain the rapid rise in gluten-related disorders over the last 17 years.”

Internist, Emily Linder, offered some backup for the report’s findings. She removed GMO from her patients’ diets, finding that recovery from intestinal diseases was faster and more complete.

“I believe that GMOs in our diet contribute to the rise in gluten-sensitivity in the US population,” Linder said in the release.

Source: RussiaToday

Connecticut becomes first state to enact GMO labeling law!

The governor of Connecticut hosted a ceremonial signing outside an organic restaurant in the city of Fairfield on Wednesday to commemorate the state’s passing of what could be the first GMO labeling law of its type in the United States.

Voters in Connecticut decided back in June to approve a bill requiring that all foods meant for human consumption that contain genetically-modified ingredients be properly labeled. Unless some neighboring states in the region follow suit, however, the status of that law remains in limbo.

The Connecticut bill requires at least four other Northeastern states with a combined population of no fewer than 20 million to approve similar acts before it can officially go on the books. And while so far proponents of a GMO labeling initiative have found allies in one adjacent state, it could very well be a long-time coming before the proper support is rallied.

Voters in Maine have already elected to pass a near-identical measure, but residents in a region that includes Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont must come together to do the same in at least three other locales.

Outside the Catch A Healthy Habit restaurant in Fairfield on Wednesday, Gov. Dannel Malloy implored his counterparts to consider joining in their fight.

“I am proud that leaders from each of the legislative caucuses can come together to make our state the first in the nation to require the labeling of GMOs,” Malloy said, according to Fairfield’s Daily Voice. “The end result is a law that shows our commitment to consumers’ right to know while catalyzing other states to take similar action.”

Tara Cook-Littman, the director of GMO Free Connecticut, applauded the efforts by advocates in the state and country working towards new laws.

“As the catalyst for GMO labeling in the United States, Connecticut residents should feel proud,” she told reporters. “We are hopeful that legislators throughout the Northeast will follow the lead of Governor Malloy and all our legislative champions by passing laws that give consumers transparency in labeling. It is a great honor for all of us to stand with Governor Malloy as he signs the first in the nation GMO labeling law.”

More than 60 countries across the world have approved mandatory labeling laws for GMO foods already, and polling suggests that the vast majority of Americans are in favor of doing the same. So far, in fact, almost half of all US states have introduces bill that, if approved, would either require labeling of GMO foods or prohibit them altogether.

“Surveys have always found 80 to 95 percent of people wanting labeling,” Consumers Union senior scientist Michael Hansen told the Rodale News health site back in April. “People are paying attention to food, and because of that they’re more interested in GMO issues and buying food that’s more local and food without pesticides and other added ingredients.”

Now with Connecticut taking the lead, Gov. Malloy hopes other states will do the same.

“This is a beginning, and I want to be clear what it is a beginning of,” he told the Fairfield Citizen before Wednesday’s event. “It is a national movement that will requiring (food) labeling.”

“People need to demand GMO labeling,” Malloy told WFSB News on the day of the ceremonial signing. “Some companies are doing this and we need to move in that direction.”

“This is the time,” he said to the Citizen. “You better get ready; people are coming and this is not a movement you are going to stop.”

Malloy was flanked by state lawmakers from both the right and the left at Wednesday’s event, and Republicans and Democrats alike are now aligning themselves in the fight.

“This bill moves forward and reinforces our fundamental right to know what is in our food so we can make informed choices about what we feed our families,” said Rep. Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield-Trumbull), according to reporter Christina Chiarelli. “Consumers may or may not wish to purchase foods that they know to be genetically modified, but they need the information made available to them to make those informed choices.”

“Passing this bill is courageous and monumental,” added Rep. Philip Miller (D-Essex). “It is an affirmation for healthy, sustainable agriculture and responsible stewardship of our food supply. The ever growing grassroots efforts of Connecticut citizens has come to fruition with the passing of this legislation. I thank Governor Malloy for being a champion of our right to participate in building our economy as fully informed consumers and citizens.”

Currently 15 nations in the European Union require labels on GMO products, and Zambia, Benin and Serbia have all instated prohibitions against products. Just earlier this week, China for the fifth time blocked a cargo shipment of US corn from entering the country, citing concerns of GMO contamination.

Source: RussiaToday

Hawaii Advances First in the Nation Bill to Ban GMOs

"BREAKING NEWS: The Big Island of Hawai'i Council passed the first reading of Bill 113, to BAN NEW GMOs from being grown on the island. The Bill will go to a second reading during the first week of Nov. and on to the Mayor for final approval. There is strong support in the council, currently enough to override a potential veto by the Mayor if that should happen. Hawai'i shows us how it's done. These amazing citizens have exerted relentless pressure on their elected officials to represent the will and the interests of the people, and not corporate interests. Today will go down in history. First Kaua'i and now The Big Island of Hawai'i."

And from Natural Remedies Blog:

"Hawaii is the home of Genetically Engineered Paypaya, Pineapple, Summer Squash, etc. so this IS BIG news!! 

GMO Free Canada announced: “The Big Island of Hawaii County Council Committee passed a GMO prohibition Bill by a vote of 6-2. Bill 133 moves forward to the full Council later this month. The Bill will ban open air cultivation of GMOs, with the exception of the GM Papaya already being grown on the island. Hawaii island is the last without GMO experimentation and the least contaminated island in the state of Hawaii. The future is looking volcanically bright for Hawaii to remain in this pristine state. Sending much Aloha to our amazing food warriors who are fighting hard and doing an incredible job. Good will triumph over evil."

Rumors about Hawaii banning GMOs are untrue for now, but that could change in the very near future if this bill is approved, and it seems that it likely will. Hawaii has been actively opposing GMO crops on all of the islands because they are a threat to the vast bio-diversity on the islands. This news is no doubt a huge win for Hawaiians and food activists. From GMO Free Canada: